Chamaebatia foliolosa

Mountain Misery is funny, the fragrance, the flowers and the foliage are lovely. In the forests this delightful groundcover reovers vast areas under Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi), Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii)), and White Fir (Abies concolor). The small white flowers are like Potentilla, and nearly identical to Chamaebatiaria. So where's the misery?

Where snow regularly covers Mountain Misery it lays down and becomes a low mat; in areas with little or no snow it will grow into an attractive 3-4 foot bush. Startling when you first see it in flower as a shrub instead of a ground cover.